1946-49:
Bayonets during this period included the M4 that was made for the US M1 Carbine. Some of these were made during WWII but they were still produced during these years even after the war was over. There were many makers of this bayonet during this period and it is a lot like the US M3 Combat Knife that was a utility knife that was issued just before this bayonet was made for the US Military. They both have the same kind of blade. You will find them marked under the cross-guard and they will have an unmarked blade. Most metal parts of this knife bayonet will be Parkerized dark gray and the earliest ones were blued. It has a spring loaded lock that attaches it to the M! Carbine. It takes both a thumb and a finger to detach it. We have seen two different scabbard variations with one being the green version with the steel throat and will be stamped with a US M8 over the maker’s mark. It does not have a metal drag. If you find one with the metal drag it will more than likely be marked US M8A1, as it is the later version. Bayonet collectors started to come about during these years as new books on earlier types of bayonets were published. Many veteran’s of the previous wars were adding these weapons to their collections because of the fascination with them and how they played a part in the war’s up to that date.